1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating switch wiring device used for a remote supervisory control system for performing remote supervisory control of a load such as a lighting apparatus and a handle member therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a remote supervisory control system having a configuration shown in FIG. 14(a) is known (For example, see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H03-94597). In this remote supervisory control system, a relay-equipped parent device (hereinafter, referred to as control parent device) 101, a plurality of relay-equipped child devices (hereinafter, referred to as control child device) 102 and 102, a plurality of operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105, and an address setting terminal 106 are connected (multi-drop connected) to a two-wire signal line Ls.
This system includes two devices (control parent device 101 and control child device 102) as a remote control wiring device which controls a relay for turning on/off power applied to load. The control parent device 101 includes eight relays and each control child device 102 includes four relay circuits. Meanwhile, the operating switch wiring device 103 includes a plurality of operating buttons 103a of pattern switches for collectively controlling a number of loads in a prescribed control state, and monitors operating states of the pattern switches. In addition, the operating switch wiring device 104 includes an operating button 104a of a group switch for collectively controlling the number of loads in same control state, and monitors operating states of the group switch. Furthermore, the operating switch wiring device 105 includes a plurality of operating buttons 105a of individual switches for individually turning on/off the loads, and monitors operating states of the plurality of individual switches.
The relays included in the control parent device 101 and the control child device 102 and the switches included in the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 are set with respective individual addresses. The control parent device 101 individually recognizes the switches of the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 and the relays of the control parent device 101 and the control child device 102 using their addresses.
Since the control parent device 101 has a function of a transmission control device, the control parent device 101 transmits a transmission signal Vs having a format shown in FIG. 14(b) to the signal line Ls. In other words, the transmission signal Vs is a bipolar (±24 V) time division multiplex signal including a start pulse signal ST representing transmission start of a signal, mode data MD representing a mode of the transmission signal Vs, address data AD for individually calling for each of the control child devices 102 or the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105, control data CD for controlling a load or a relay, and checksum data CS for detecting an transmission error, and a signal carrying period WT which is a time slot for receiving a carrying signal (monitoring data) from the control child device 102 or the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105, and data is transmitted as data by pulse width modulation (FIG. 14(c). When address data AD transmitted by the transmission signal Vs received through the signal line Ls is identical to an address which is previously set, the control child device 102 and the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 receives the control data CD from the transmission signal Vs and carries the monitoring data as a current mode signal (signal transmitted by short-circuiting the signal line Ls through an adequately low impedance) in the signal carrying period WT of the transmission signal Vs.
When data is transmitted from the control parent device 101 to a desired the control child device 102 or operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105, the transmission signal Vs including the mode data MD as a control mode and an address assigned to the relay included in the control child device 102 or the switch included in the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 as the address data AD is transmitted. When the transmission signal Vs is transmitted to the signal line Ls, the control child device 102 or operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 having an address identical to the address data AD receives the control data CD and carries monitoring data in the signal carrying period WT. The control parent device 101 confirms whether the control data CD is transmitted to the desired one of the control child device 102 and operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 by a relationship between the transmitted control data CD and the monitoring data received in the signal carrying period WT. The control child device 102 controls the relay having corresponding address according to the received control data CD. In addition, the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 output the monitoring signal for confirming display of the relay according to the received control data CD.
In addition, the control parent device 101 usually transmits the transmission signal Vs including the mode data MD as a dummy mode at a regular interval (full-time polling), and, when the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 are desired to transmit any information to the control parent device 101, generates an interrupt signal Vi shown in FIG. 14(d) in synchronization with the start pulse signal ST of the transmission signal Vs of the dummy mode. At this time, the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 are prepared for transmitting/receiving later information to/from the control parent device 101. When the control parent device 101 receives the interrupt signal Vi, the control parent device 101 transmits the transmission signal including the mode data MD as an interrupt polling mode while sequentially increasing upper half bits of the address data AD. The operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105, which generate the interrupt signal, carry lower half bits of the address to the control parent device 101 in the signal carrying period WT, when the upper half bits of the address data AD of the transmission signal of the interrupt polling mode is identical to upper half bits of the address of the switch included in the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105.
When the control parent device 101 acquires the address of the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 which generate the interrupt signal (that is, address of the operated switch), the transmission signal having the address data AD obtained using the mode data MD as the monitoring mode is transmitted to the signal line Ls. The operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 carry the information to be transmitted in the signal carrying period WT with respect to the transmission signal. Finally, the control parent device 101 transmits a signal indicating interrupt reset to the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 which generate the interrupt signal and releases the interrupt plug of the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105. In this way, the transmission of the information from the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 to the control parent device 101 is completed by transmitting the signals (dummy mode, interrupt polling mode, monitoring mode, and interrupt reset) from the control parent device 101 to the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 four times. In addition, the control parent device 101 has only to transmit the transmission signal using the mode data MD as the monitoring data in order to monitor the operating state of a desired control child device 102.
The above-described operation is summarized as follows: First, when input data is generated by operation of any one the operating buttons 103a to 105a of the switches, the monitoring data corresponding to the input data from the operating switch wiring devices 103 to 105 is carried to the control parent device 101. When the address of the operated switch corresponds to the address of the its own relay, the control parent device 101 controls the relay, and, when the address of the operated switch corresponds to the address of the relay included in a control child device 102, transmits the control data DC to the control child device 102 to control the relay by being corresponded the control child device 102. In addition, the control parent device 101 manages the correspondence relation of the address between the relay and the pattern switch or the group switch such that the plurality of relays can be collectively controlled by operation of any one of the switches.
The operating switch wiring device 105 is a terminal for monitoring the operating states of the plurality of individual switches. The configuration of the operating switch wiring device 105 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13(a) to 13(c).
The operating switch wiring device 105 includes a device body 110 implanted in a building wall surface. Eight flexible parts 112 are provided at a right side of a front surface of the device body 110 in a vertical direction in parallel and a display lamp 113 for indicating an operating state of a load, such as a light emitting diode (LED), is provided at the left side of each of the flexible parts 112. Each of the flexible parts 112 is divided by a slit formed over its circumference except one end so that the one end is cantilever-supported by the device body 110, and has a cylindrical press button 112a integrally formed at the other end of thereof. In the device body 110, individual switches (not shown) which consist of tact stitches are received to face the flexible parts 112, respectively. By pressing the press button 112a to bend the flexible part 112 inward, the individual switch can be pressed at the rear side of the flexible part 112. In addition, an address setting switch which consists of a rotary switch is received in the device body 110 and a rotation handle 114 of the address setting switch is exposed at a center portion of a front surface of the device body 110. The addresses of eight individual switches are set to any one of 1 to 8, 9 to 16, 17 to 24, 25 to 32, 33 to 40, and 41 to 48 according to the rotation position of the rotation handle 114. For example, when the address is set to 9 to 16 using the rotation handle 114, the addresses of the eight individual switches are set to 9, 10, 11, . . . , and 16 in that order from the top.
Furthermore, a face cover 111 is attached to the front surface of the device body 110. The face cover 111 has a cover main body 116 in the shape of a rectangular plate having a size substantially equal to that of the front surface of the device body 110, and is attached to the front surface of device body 110 by engaging elastic engagement claws protruding from the left and right sides of the rear surface of the cover main body 116 with engagement holes formed at the left and right sides of the front surface of the device body 110. Perforated holes (not shown) though which the press buttons 112a and the display lamps 113 passes are formed on the cover main body 116 at portions facing the press buttons 112a and the display lamps 113 provided on the front surface of the device body 110, and a front identification plate 117 made of flexible resin is attached to the front surface of the cover main body 116. The front identification plate 117 is called a membrane sheet. Operating buttons 105a protruding forward are formed on the front identification plate 117 at a portion facing the press buttons 112a. In addition, on the front identification plate 117, light transmitting parts 119 and 120 are formed at portions facing the display lamps 113 and a name card 118 attached to the rear surface of the cover main body 116. The light of the display lamps 113 and the character of the name card 118 are externally visible with eye though the light transmitting portions.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H03-94597
In the above-described remote supervisory control system, the operating switch wiring device 105 which monitors the operation of the individual switches for individually operating a load and the operating switch wiring devices 103 and 104 which monitor the operation of the group switch or the pattern switch are provided. To set the addresses of the individual switches or the addresses of the loads which are collectively controlled by the group control or the pattern control, the dedicated address setting terminal 106 needs to be prepared and thus a cost of the system increases. In addition, when the group control or the pattern control is set using the address setting terminal 106, a group number or a pattern number (address of the group switch or the pattern switch) must be set in correspondence with the address of the load which is a group control object or a pattern control object. Accordingly, only a worker having special knowledge can perform a setting operation and it takes much time to set the group number or the pattern number. In addition, during setting the address, the overall system is in an address setting state and thus general load control cannot be performed.